AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is facing budget cuts of between ?130m and ?270m. The prospective cutbacks come as the department faces bills for animal health issues such as foot-and-mouth, bluetongue and bird flu.
Defra's management is understood to be considering across the board cuts for several agencies.
These include the Environment Agency, Natural England, British Waterways and a variety of farming projects.
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BBC political correspondent James Hardy said that the cuts are due to be made over the next three years.
A ministerial source has told the BBC that the situation is 'very serious' and that a number of agencies will be hit by spending cuts, or at best, a spending freeze.
However, it is understood that cash set aside for building and other infrastructure projects, including ?200m for flood defences, will escape the spending cuts.
A Defra spokesman said that in common with other ministries, detailed planning work was under way, but that no final decisions had been taken.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7099469.stm
Defra's management is understood to be considering across the board cuts for several agencies.
These include the Environment Agency, Natural England, British Waterways and a variety of farming projects.
<!-- E SF -->
BBC political correspondent James Hardy said that the cuts are due to be made over the next three years.
A ministerial source has told the BBC that the situation is 'very serious' and that a number of agencies will be hit by spending cuts, or at best, a spending freeze.
However, it is understood that cash set aside for building and other infrastructure projects, including ?200m for flood defences, will escape the spending cuts.
A Defra spokesman said that in common with other ministries, detailed planning work was under way, but that no final decisions had been taken.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7099469.stm